Rapid Assessment Reference Condition Model
The Rapid Assessment is a component of the LANDFIRE project. Reference condition models for the Rapid Assessment were
created through a series of expert workshops and a peer-review process in 2004 and 2005. For more information, please visit
www.landfire.gov. Please direct questions to helpdesk@landfire.gov.
R#TAOAco
Potential Natural Vegetation Group (PNVG)
Oregon Coastal Tanoak
General Information
Contributors (additional contributors may be listed under "Model Evolution and Comments")
Modelers
Reviewers
Diane White
Edward Reilly
Charley Martin
Vegetation Type
Forested
Dominant Species*
PSME
LIDE3
TSHE
dewhite01@fs.fed.us
ereilly@blm.gov
cmartin@blm.gov
Tom Atzet
Jim Merzenich
General Model Sources
Literature
Local Data
Expert Estimate
LANDFIRE Mapping Zones
1
8
2
9
7
jatzet@budget.net
jmerzenich@fs.fed.us
Rapid AssessmentModel Zones
California
Great Basin
Great Lakes
Northeast
Northern Plains
N-Cent.Rockies
Pacific Northwest
South Central
Southeast
S. Appalachians
Southwest
Geographic Range
This PNVG occurs in Southwest Oregon, in Coastal Coos, Curry & western Josephine Counties, and
reaches into northern California to del Norte and possibly Humboldt counties. This model was specifically
created for the Oregon range, but may apply to the California populations.
Biophysical Site Description
This type occurs where annual temperatures are 45-53 F (49 avg.); annual precipitation 60-120 inches (95
avg.); soils - sedimentary (often sandstone) types, generally 37-52 inches in depth (though shallower on the
Dothan sandstones); elevation - 1000-3500 feet. All aspects, generally less common on south- and westfacing slopes. Slope position is generally mid and lower slope (Atzet, et al 1996).
Vegetation Description
Plant Association Groups included in this type are:
Tanoak Canyon live oak, or saddler oak
Tanoak big leaf maple-swordfern
Tanoak - GASH
Tanoak- Evergreen Huckleberry (Redwood)
This group incorporates the range of redwood in Oregon. Port Orford cedar is common. Evergreen
huckleberry (VAOV2) is usually present. Western Swordfern (POMU) is usually present. Other associates
are California Laurel (UMCA), Pacific Rhododenron, (RHMA3), Salal (GASH), dwarf Oregon Grape
(BENE).
Disturbance Description
Local Ecology plot data (Southwestern Oregon Forest Service) shows 250 year average stand age,
suggesting a mean stand replacement fire return interval of 250 years. Mixed severity fire ranges from 15-40
years.
*Dominant Species are from the NRCS PLANTS database. To check a species
code, please visit http://plants.usda.gov.
Final Document 9-30-2005
Page 1 of 5
Surface fire may be locally common (due to aspect, topography etc.), but it is generally uncommon due to
moist weather (humidity, fog) conditions which allow fuel build up resulting in mixed severity fire. Mixed
severity fire maintained tanoak as a principal canopy intermediate. Stand replacement fire often results in
rapid resprouting and tanoak dominated sites for a decade. Mixed severity fire results in all size conifer
mortality in higher intensity portions of fires.
Adjacency or Identification Concerns
Bounded to south by California Redwood types and Douglas-fir/Hemlock wet mesic type to north. Mixed
conifer - SW is the dominant type to the east.
Local Data
Expert Estimate
Literature
Sources of Scale Data
Scale Description
Pre-settlement fires were long duration (months) with 100 to 10,000 acres (fifth field watershed size
analysis area). (Agee 1993).
Issues/Problems
Wind/ice stress could have been added to the model.
Model Evolution and Comments
One reviewer suggested combining plant communities in this area on moisture and elevational gradients
rather than the mixed hardwood vs. mixed conifer groups of an earlier approach. In the proposed system,
coastal tanoak would be combined with other wet inland series, not the dry inland series; and fire return
intervals are likely closer to 70-90 years than the current model's 250 year return for replacement fires.
Succession Classes**
Succession classes are the equivalent of "Vegetation Fuel Classes" as defined in the Interagency FRCC Guidebook (www.frcc.gov).
Class A
10 %
Early1 PostRep
Description
Early seral dominated by
resprouting tanoak. Conifers
reseeding in gradually (0-25
years). This stage may reset by a
reburn of the flammable shrubs, or
may be delayed if the shrub layer
(greenleaf and hairy manzanita) is
thick.
Class B
Mid1 Closed
Description
10 %
Dominant Species* and
Canopy Position
LIDE3
PSME
Structure Data (for upper layer lifeform)
Cover
Height
Tree Size Class
Upper Layer Lifeform
Herbaceous
Shrub
Tree
Fuel Model
Min
0%
Max
%
no data
no data
no data
Upper layer lifeform differs from dominant lifeform.
Height and cover of dominant lifeform are:
no data
Dominant Species* and
Canopy Position
Structure Data (for upper layer lifeform)
PSME
LIDE3
Cover
Douglas-fir gradually assuming
TSHE
dominance as age increases. With
less frequent fire or lower intensity Upper Layer Lifeform
fire, closed conditions would occur.
Herbaceous
(up to 260 years old).
Shrub
Tree
Fuel Model
Height
Tree Size Class
Min
60 %
no data
Max
100 %
no data
no data
Upper layer lifeform differs from dominant lifeform.
Height and cover of dominant lifeform are:
no data
*Dominant Species are from the NRCS PLANTS database. To check a species
code, please visit http://plants.usda.gov.
Final Document 9-30-2005
Page 2 of 5
Class C
50 %
Mid1 Open
Description
Douglas-fir gradually assuming
dominance as age increases.
Open conditions maintained by
mixed severity fire. Patches of
dominant tanoak present. Other
hardwoods include California
Laurel (UMCA), Chinquapin
(CACH6) Canyon Live Oak
(QUCH2).
Class D
25 %
Late1 Open
Description
Douglas-fir is dominant.
Hardwoods often reaching tree
form.
Open conditions maintained by
mixed severity fire. Patches of
dominant tanoak present. Other
hardwoods include California
Laurel (UMCA), Chinquapin
(CACH6) Canyon Live Oak
(QUCH2).
Class E
5%
Late1 Closed
Description
Douglas-fir is dominant.
Hardwoods often reaching tree
form. With less frequent fire or
lower intensity fire, closed
conditions would occur.
> 240 years.
Dominant Species* and
Canopy Position
PSME
LIDE3
TSHE
Structure Data (for upper layer lifeform)
Cover
Height
Tree Size Class
Upper Layer Lifeform
Herbaceous
Shrub
Tree
Fuel Model
PSME
LIDE3
TSHE
no data
no data
no data
Upper layer lifeform differs from dominant lifeform.
Height and cover of dominant lifeform are:
Structure Data (for upper layer lifeform)
Cover
Height
Tree Size Class
Upper Layer Lifeform
Herbaceous
Shrub
Tree
Min
10 %
Max
60 %
no data
no data
no data
Upper layer lifeform differs from dominant lifeform.
Height and cover of dominant lifeform are:
no data
Dominant Species* and
Canopy Position
PSME
LIDE3
TSHE
Structure Data (for upper layer lifeform)
Cover
Height
Tree Size Class
Upper Layer Lifeform
Herbaceous
Shrub
Tree
Fuel Model
Max
60 %
no data
Dominant Species* and
Canopy Position
Fuel Model
Min
10 %
Min
60 %
no data
no data
Max
100 %
no data
Upper layer lifeform differs from dominant lifeform.
Height and cover of dominant lifeform are:
no data
Disturbances
*Dominant Species are from the NRCS PLANTS database. To check a species
code, please visit http://plants.usda.gov.
Final Document 9-30-2005
Page 3 of 5
Disturbances Modeled
Fire
Insects/Disease
Wind/Weather/Stress
Native Grazing
Competition
Other:
Other
Historical Fire Size (acres)
Avg: no data
Min: no data
Max: no data
Sources of Fire Regime Data
Literature
Local Data
Expert Estimate
Fire Regime Group: 1
I: 0-35 year frequency, low and mixed severity
II: 0-35 year frequency, replacement severity
III: 35-200 year frequency, low and mixed severity
IV: 35-200 year frequency, replacement severity
V: 200+ year frequency, replacement severity
Fire Intervals (FI)
Fire interval is expressed in years for each fire severity class and for all types of
fire combined (All Fires). Average FI is central tendency modeled. Minimum and
maximum show the relative range of fire intervals, if known. Probability is the
inverse of fire interval in years and is used in reference condition modeling.
Percent of all fires is the percent of all fires in that severity class. All values are
estimates and not precise.
Avg FI
Replacement
Mixed
Surface
All Fires
Min FI
250
28
15
25
Max FI
40
Probability
Percent of All Fires
0.004
0.03571
10
90
0.03972
References
Agee, James K. 1993. Fire Ecology of Pacific Northwest Forests. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.
Arno, Stephen F. 2000. Fire in western forest ecosystems. In: Brown, James K.; Smith, Jane Kapler, eds.
Wildland fire in ecosystems: Effects of fire on flora. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-42-vol. 2. Ogden, UT:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 97-120.
Atzet, Thomas, et al. 1996. Field Guide to the Forested Plant Associations of Southwestern, Oregon. USDA
Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region.
Franklin, Jerry F., and Dyrness, C. T. 1988. Natural Vegetation of Oregon and Washington. Corvallis, OR:
Oregon State University Press.
Greenlee, Jason M., and Langenheim, Jean H. 1990. Historic fire regimes and their relation to vegetation
patterns in the Monterey Bay area of California. American Midland Naturalist 124: 239-253.
Jimerson, Thomas M., McGee, Elizabeth A., Jones, David W., Svilich, Richard J., Hotalen, Edward, DeNitto,
Gregg, Laurent, Tom, Tenpas, Jeffrey D., Smith, Mark, Hefner-McClelland, Kathy, and Mattison, Jeffrey.
1996. A Field Guide to the Tanoak and the Douglas-fir Plant Associations in Northwestern California. USDA
Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region. R5-ECOL-TP-009.
McDonald, P.M., and Tappeiner, J. C. 1990. Arbuts menziesii—Pacific madrone. In: Burns, R. M., and
Honkala, B. H., technical coordinators. Silvics of North America, Volume 2. Hardwoods. USDA Forest
Service, Agriculture Handbook 654. Pp. 124-132.
Sawyer, John O., Thornburgh, Dale A., and Griffin, James R. 1988. Mixed evergreen forest. In: Barbour,
Michael G., and Major, Jack, eds. Terrestrial Vegetation of California. California Native Plant Society,
Special Publication Number 9. Davis: University of California Press. Pp. 360-381.
Schmidt, Kirsten M, Menakis, James P., Hardy, Colin C., Hann, Wendel J., Bunnell, David L. 2002.
Development of coarse-scale spatial data for wildland fire and fuel management. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRSGTR-87. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research
*Dominant Species are from the NRCS PLANTS database. To check a species
code, please visit http://plants.usda.gov.
Final Document 9-30-2005
Page 4 of 5
Station. 41 p. + CD.
Taylor, Alan H., and Skinner, Carl N. 1998. Fire history and landscape dynamics in a late-successional
reserve, Klamath Mountains, California, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 111: 285-301.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory
(2002, December). Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
[Accessed 2/7/02].
Whittaker, R. H. 1960. Vegetation of the Skskiyou Mountains, Oregon and California. Ecological
Monographs 30: 279-338.
Wills, Robin D., and Stuart, John D. 1994. Fire history and stand development of a Douglas-fir/hardwood
forest in northern California. Northwest Science 68(3): 205-212.
*Dominant Species are from the NRCS PLANTS database. To check a species
code, please visit http://plants.usda.gov.
Final Document 9-30-2005
Page 5 of 5